Indoor Exercise Options for Children
There is no doubt that regular exercise is very good for the body, in many different ways. Cardio and other exercises can help a person maintain a healthy heart, prevent obesity and diabetes, sleep better, and have more energy during the day. This applies not only to adults, but also to children and the elderly, who may carry out exercise routines appropriate for their age and capabilities. Children need exercise just as much as their parents, if not more so, so they can learn good sportsmanship, develop muscles, prevent obesity, and encourage mental growth (a lack of exercise may lead to limited brain power). Most often, children can get exercise at parks and by taking sports classes, but what if those are not an option on a particular day? This is where kids indoor play structures can help, such as indoor playgrounds at a house of worship or commercial indoor jungle gyms at a fast food restaurant. Options like these are great for a rainy day, or if a busy schedule doesn’t have room for a visit to the park.
Children and Proper Exercise
Many statistics are being kept to track how much exercise Americans get (or don’t get), and this includes children, too. What do the numbers show? Two third of all parents have expressed concern that their children are spending too much time of electronic devices, and in general, a child using electronic items is not exercising. Some children and adolescents are known to use these devices for hours per day, even on school days. Right now, just under one in three children is meting the Sports and Fitness Industry Association’s classification for “active to a healthy level.” To be specific, “active to a healthy level” means 25 minutes of high calorie-burning physical activity three times per week. Similarly, the American Heart Association recommends that children aged two and over engage in one hour of moderate physical activity per day, and many children fall short. But casual sports teams, outdoor parks, kids indoor play structures, and even martial arts classes can help reverse this situation.
Finding an Indoor Playground for Kids
Where might a kids indoor play structure be found? While swing sets and climbable surfaces are typical to outdoor pay equipment, many commercial buildings feature similar equipment, such as shopping malls. Such kids indoor play structures are convenient for families who visit the mall together, and the children may use that equipment while other members of the group carry out their own business. These indoor structures may have a low wall to help separate the play area from foot traffic, and there may be benches where adults can sit and supervise, just like at an outdoor park.
These kids indoor play structures can also be found at fast food restaurants, which may have a large annex built with windows that allow traffic outside to see these structures. Those kids indoor play structures may feature slides, ball pits, plastic tubes, and more. Parents are urged to have their children wash their hands after using this gear, though, especially before eating. Meanwhile, similar indoor structures may be found at a church or synagogue or other house of worship, which often double as day care centers. Such places may have a fenced off play area outside, but also feature indoor play structures for rainy days or if there is no room for outdoor play zones.
Lastly, these kids indoor play structures can be found at fitness centers, which can be convenient for parents who visit for a workout. The gym’s main exercise area is meant for adolescent and adult users, and the equipment is not designed for children. So, guests may bring their children to side rooms that feature indoor play equipment, and leave them there while carrying out their own exercise programs on the main floor. These exercise rooms may feature anything from mini basketball hoops and play balls to small jungle gyms, and a number of children may be in this room to play together while their parents are elsewhere in the fitness center.